Poison Tears
by Linu
Summary: The story takes place a year or two after the ending of NWN2 OC. About Bishop and a drow priestess.
1. Chapter 1: A White Spider

**Poison Tears**

**by Linu**

_**Disclaimer:** All the characters from Neverwinter Nights are owned by Obsidian. Nawen of Tears is mine as well as every other character that I didn't take from the game._

_**Author's Note:** I am not English mother tongue and I'm sure there will be mistakes. Feel free to let me know so that I can correct them, I am writing to improve my English so it will help me, really. Also, I don't know much about Faerun and drow language, just what I learned from NWN and the net, so I'll look for some documentation about it, but I'm not sure that everything is correct. Let me know and I'll adapt the text if it's possible._

---

**Drow Vocabulary used in this chapter:**

_Yathrin: priestess of Lolth_

_Oloth zhan tuth abil lueth ogglin: Darkness can be both, a friend or an enemy_

_Dhalahir: daughter_

_Og'elend: traitor_

_SSussun: Light_

_Daewl: Wish _

_D'krik'vlicss: of Tears_

---

**Chapter One: A white spider**

I watched at that dirty tavern almost dazed by the light that the yellow walls reflected. It was almost painful. I hated the surface as I hated almost anything else, but the thing that I hated the most was light. I feared it. I couldn't see anything perfectly and that made me dangerously weak. At the same time I knew that travelling on the surface was my only choice, I wasn't free to choose my way because I was an instrument. An instrument of death and pain, and a useful healer. Too many weeks passed from the last time I saw the place I called home, and still I wasn't accustomed to light. I patiently learnt everything that I needed to know about human habits, their language was starting to sound less silly to me, and I was almost starting to like the way they looked at me, their scream of pain, when their glances were too offensive for my irritably mood, but I was sure I could never tolerate light. I grabbed my robe with my hand and lifted it a bit over my feet to walk easier the few steps that separated me from the entrance of the inn.

I didn't miss my home, I didn't miss my friends, because I didn't even have any friends, in fact. Things such as love, respect and friendship didn't even exist in my vocabulary. The only important thing in drow culture is strength, survival. Then there is lust, passion and _bloodlust_ of course. At the moment, the only important thing in my life was to complete my Test.

_I was accomplishing my routine duty as an apprentice priestess of Lolth, inside the huge subterranean halls that we used as a temple. I wasn't a Yathrin yet, I was too young to have this honor. Twenty years are too few, especially for an elf, I was considered a child, a precocious, powerful child, but still a child. I approached the bloodstained altar when something happened to me. I felt myself lose conscience, but I didn't actually fall on the floor or anything else. The temple just disappeared, swallowed by a deep darkness, too deep even for my drow eyes. I felt paralyzed, just as I couldn't move a finger if I wanted. But I didn't want to. Oloth zhan tuth abil lueth ogglin, I repeated to myself, trying to calm down and analyze the situation. Darkness can be both, a friend or an enemy. This time, darkness decided to be friendly, almost. A huge white glowing spider appeared in front of me, I fell on my knees, confused and astonished by the mesmerizing beauty of that creature. I didn't have the time to say anything, when She spoke, loud and clear, her voice full of danger, cruelty and vice._

_"Nawen d'krik'vlicss, my dhalahir, you are an instrument of pain an death. As an instrument you will act and travel to the surface. There you will find the Og'elend and sacrifice him to me." Thousands of questions crossed my mind, I didn't understand anything of what she said to me, but I did not dare open my mouth to speak, and I didn't need it, because she added: "You will find the answers along the way. Show me your usefulness, dhalahir, or you will regret the day you were born." in the twinkling of an eye she disappeared, and the temple returned to it's normal comforting not-so-dark darkness. Then I understood it. Perfectly. I understood the look upon my pet face when I killed him last week, why all this was happening. It was my Test of Lolth. So young, so precocious, so honored._

_As I looked in front of me, I saw the high priestess staring at me, with a severe expression on her face. I gasped, bending down because of the sudden pain I felt around my navel. I tore off my tunic, regardless of the high priestess, regardless of anything else on Toril, and I saw it. A white spider on my abdomen. It was the proof that I wasn't daydreaming. I was branded forever. The High Priestess shook her head and lay down a white cloak on my back to cover my naked body, and I fainted, falling in the deepest darkness and pain._

SSussun, I thought when I opened the door with an elegant move. It sounded almost as an insult to my drow ears. With a resignation sigh I entered the main room, hoping for some rest for my tired eyes.

---

She was so beautiful, when I saw her for the first time in that tavern in Waterdeep territory that I almost forgot my usual distrust, just for a moment. But I was a fugitive, and couldn't allow myself to be weak for a woman. Maybe.

I already knew something about dark elves women, about their wild beauty and their lust, and I had met some of them in the past, who proved that legends about them were true, but she was different. You could see it at first glance. Her elegance, every move carefully chosen, the cruel but deep glance in her ruby eyes. Well, let's say that wench made me really want to taste another bit of drow legendary lust. At the same time, I knew that she was dangerous, and I was sure I couldn't get too involved with her. Not that I was worried about it. A drow woman will fascinate you, take your bed, than take your heart, rip it away from your chest and eat it, if you allowed her. But I wasn't that kind of man. I was never getting tied to anyone. Never. One night could be enough for her.

I was so tired of running away, hiding and above all sleeping alone. The woods can be so cold without a wench warming up your bedroll. I was far enough from both, Neverwinter and Luskan, I had some money from a smuggler that required my skills a week ago and the right amount of ale in my stomach. I could grant myself a night in a real room with that drow viper if I wanted. And I wanted it really, really bad.

I was just thinking about how to break the ice, observing her silver hair waving as she spoke with the innkeeper, who looked really scared about her, she was a drow after all. No one in the room dared to stare at her, except me. My eyes followed her curves, lingering upon her hips and then her legs. I smirked, hypnotized by her back. Then she turned towards me, walking slowly, staring at me directly. I arched my eyebrows in surprise. Was she really looking at me? Well, that meant that I had less work to do to take her to my bed.

"Are you a ranger?" She simply asked, not showing any kind of emotion. I frowned, irritated by her self-confidence. Obviously, she was a noble one. Very powerful, very dangerous, very frustrating prey.

"Maybe. Or maybe I'm just someone one that want to be left alone." I answered, while every thought of letting her into my bed slipped away. She has that almost amused and arrogant tone in her voice, as if she was the only capable people in the world, that reminded me of that red haired wench of a sorceress with that absurd name. Qira, Qera... No, it was Qara I guess. She was a friend of that little bitch, the all-mighty Knight Captain of Crossroad Keep, hero of Neverwinter and great fool. I hated that girl almost more than I hated that Duncan kin, if possible. She almost made me respect her, for a while, until that night. Almost. Then she went with that _paladin_. I still could see the disappointed look on her face, when I told her that I betrayed her. She didn't see _my_ face, seeing her with that _Casavir_. Not that I really cared, though. The drow's voice brought me back to reality, shaking me and banishing those amethyst eyes from my mind.

"I'll pay you. I need an escort to Neverwinter territory and the innkeeper told me that you could know the way." _What?_ How did he know that? "He was told by one of his costumers, Arlen, I think." Oh right, the smuggler. She anticipated my question, probably I wasn't able enough to hide my surprise. Or _she_ was very good at guessing. I helped that fool to run away from there, and that's how he was paying me back. Revealing to anyone who I was. Thanks to him now I had every hound in the Coast chasing me.

"Listen, do I look like I care? No way I'm going back to Neverwinter, not for all the gold in Toril." Was she crazy or something? Why should I risk my life and go back there? I would have been hanged on the gallows in an hour. Besides, she had a strange accent. I didn't like it. The wench probably just got out of the hole where she lived and was untamed. Her drow bloodlust would have put _my precious life_ at risk, and I couldn't allow it.

"Let's see..." she said searching her purse "What about 600 gold now, plus half the money we tear off the corpses on the way?" Corpses... That silly little girl was really sure to leave corpses behind her trail. A lot of corpses if she was going to give me half the money she got from them. I looked down at her, she was staring right into my eyes, with some kind of feeling inside her bloody glance. Desire maybe? I don't know how, but that turned me on. Besides, after that fool told everyone about me I couldn't just sit there and wait for some ambitious traveller from Neverwinter to come and get me.

"All right. But I want more for this." If I was to risk my life, at least I was going to make it interesting.

"What do you mean?" She asked, showing for the first time some kind of emotion behind that mask of indifference she wore. Surprise, maybe? Or was she just analyzing me? "If you mean more gold I fear I can't. I need it to buy provisions and equipment along the way." She said that with a grimace. Drows always think that any non-drow craft is inferior, and probably it's true, but I still couldn't tolerate that arrogant expression on her face.

"I was talking about something else. I'm not so interested in money, when my life's at stake. I was talking about a wish." There, this was going to make it really interesting. She bent her head, sincerely confused. Now that I managed to break her mask she was mine. I could do anything with her.

"A wish..." she repeated, slowly "Daewl..." I guess that was the word in her mother tongue, she repeated it again, maybe to be sure of the meaning. I was too focused on noticing how her tongue caressed the words, desiring that tongue to... Well, but if she did accept I could have her do anything with that tongue, anything... "What do you mean exactly?" I grinned, satisfied. I knew she was going to accept now.

"It means that I can ask you to do something for me, when I want, where I want, and you'll do it. That's quite simple, I think, dark elf." A few seconds of silence, maybe she was appraising the pros and cons of the situation. I perfectly knew that if we were in the Underdark, I would have ended up sacrificed on an altar, but we were at the Roosting Griffin Inn, and she was alone. Not even a capable noble drow priestess could do it to Neverwinter alone, if she didn't know the way there.

"All right, ranger, we leave tonight." as she said that and turned away from me I noticed something odd. Her shadow was different from the others. I already had noticed that it looked darker and its movements werent perfectly synchronized with hers. But when she walked away to sit by the fire I saw that there was more than that. I didn't understand it at first, but then I suddenly saw that and it really impressed me. Her shadow was looking at me.

I wasn't enthusiastic about travelling without the sunlight, but she didn't want to lose more time in the inn, and I agreed with that. There's something that annoys me every time I'm surrounded by walls. I feel like a trapped animal, and I just can't stand it. So, if leaving so soon meant less time in the tavern, it was good for me, even if it wasn't the wisest choice. Besides, it allowed us to travel quite unnoticed. I called Karnwyr with a whistle, hearing him join us almost immediately. He was waiting outside the Roosting Griffin. I observed her walking before me, hells, she was beautiful.

"By the way, what's your name?" she asked while we were heading out of the town, with her playful arrogant voice, so irritating.

"You can call me Bishop." I grunted, and the four of us disappeared into the darkness of the woods.


	2. Chapter 2: Wounded

**Poison Tears**

**by Linu**

_**Disclaimer:** All the characters from Neverwinter Nights are owned by Obsidian. Nawen of Tears is mine as well as every other character that I didn't take from the game._

_**Author's Note:** I am not English mother tongue and I'm sure there will be mistakes. Feel free to let me know so that I can correct them, I am writing to improve my English so it will help me, really. Also, I don't know much about Faerun and drow language, just what I learned from NWN and the net, so I'll look for some documentation about it, but I'm not sure that everything is correct. Let me know and I'll adapt the text if it's possible._

---

**Drow Vocabulary used in this chapter:**

_Mrann d'ssinss: lover_

_Wanre: apprentice_

_Quarval-Sharess: Goddess (only Lolth)_

_Dhalar: child_

_Yathrin: priestess _

---

Chapter Two: Wounded

His eyes. His blue deep eyes watching me. A quick flash of reason before his death. "Nawen, why?" he cried. His sweet voice turned in one last scream of pain. He was a bard before being enslaved, he told me._ Why?_ Because I'm an instrument, dear Damon. If Lolth wants me to kill you I must do it. But you'll never know it, because I will never have the chance to tell you. Not anymore. It's you or me, sorry. Are you really sorry? No. I'm not. I liked it, _enjoyed_ it. I'll never be sorry. But what I wanted to know was why him. It could have been one of my sisters, my brother, one of my mrann d'ssinss. Why him? _"Because by him, you have offended the name of your family and such a shame must be washed away with blood."_ Her voice caught me unprepared, in the shadowy folds of my dream. That was my Test. I had to prove my loyalty to Lolth by killing my pet. I was surprised, when he attacked me without any reason. He had no weapon, because slaves are not allowed to use them. It was so easy,_ too easy_, to kill him. But I felt as a part of me died with him. No burial, no mourning for a slave. Just some silent lonely tears by his master. Then it was me again. Nawen of Tears, child, Wanre. Cruel, insensitive. My Quarval-Sharess gave me another chance to prove my usefulness. Because I _was_ useful. I loved to cause pain, subtly inflict wounds, surrounded by death. I also had a sincere interest in healing people. My purpose wasn't to save them. It was a challenge. Every new disease, poison, or wound that I encountered was an opponent that I had to beat. And I was always on the winning side. Every new reagent, herb or prayer was a new friend by my side. I had a lot of "friends".

Damon's pale dead hand was stretching towards me, touching softly the bare skin of my shoulder, shaking me, waking me up. Then my eyes opened, and I saw that amber demanding eyes staring at me, _waiting_ for me. It was Bishop. Damon was dead, foolish dhalar.

"It's your turn, priestess, are you able to keep the fire on until sunset?" Sure I was, what did he think I was, some inexperienced wanre? Just the fact of leaving the Underdark alone was enough to make a real Yathrin out of me. I wasn't a wanre, anymore.

"I have a name, you know" I just answered, trying not to show that I cared about his comment. But I couldn't hide the fact that being called priestess irritated me. I was Nawen of Tears, I earned my name because of my qualities and I wanted him to show some respect. _I_ was the master, anyways.

"Oh, sure, Nawen the Great. Now, keep the fire on and I'll take a nap near that tree's roots, see?_ Over there..._ " He said mockingly, indicating the tree with his finger. "Trees are not comfortable, but they'll cover my back, this means that I won't be in a good mood when I wake up. So, try to stop irritating me and maybe at sunset you'll have your dinner before we leave again, right?"

I sighed silently, watching the two rabbits he skinned and hung on a tree branch. Did he think I wasn't able to cook or hunt? Well, as a matter of fact I wasn't. I never traveled alone this far. I always had a scout with me. But now it was different. Now it was _my_ Test and I was supposed to face it _alone_. I wasn't scared, and I always loved challenges, but the presence of that ranger was really unnerving. I didn't kill him, by the way. Somehow I was starting to respect him. He was weak, because he was a man and a human, but he had his uses. Besides, I needed him to reach Neverwinter. I was good at orienteering as long as it was in the cozy tunnels of the Underdark, but it was different on the surface. It was so vast, so _bright_. Only trained drow scouts could find their way here. And _obviously_ I wasn't a scout.

I turned my face to watch him. He was so rude, so selfish, we were so similar. I knew I couldn't trust him as I wouldn't trust myself. At the same time I knew there was something different in him. He was hurt. He was that way because something happened to him, otherwise he would have ended up much different. I had no choice. I was destined to be this way since the day I was born, but he _could_ have been different.

The wolf was staring at me with those amber deep eyes, probably guarding his master from me. He didn't trust me either. They had the same eyes. This didn't mean that the wolf seemed more human-like than its nature allowed him. It was Bishop that looked like a wolf. I found the way he sniffed the air rather funny. He was always cautious, always looking at his own back. Probably someone was chasing him as I was chasing someone. This traitor, I didn't even know who he was. I suspected that he was some drow men, maybe a follower of Vhaeraun who wanted to take control of the city. As if those weak men could win. Fools.

I didn't know that some answers were on their way, coming right towards me. Suddenly I heard something odd, something that was not natural, that didn't belong the woods. It took me a minute or two to figure out what it was. Steps, maybe? Then voices. It wasn't near, but not as far as I wanted it to be. I immediately recognized them, as I heard them whisper. They were dark elves. Males. There was no time to douse the fire and hide, they would have found us anyway. I stepped back, trying to reach Bishop quietly. He was already awake, looking at me quizzically.

"Seems like drow tracking skills are better than yours, ranger" I whispered with a grin on my face. Then I grabbed my staff and stood up, waiting for them to come.

---

I didn't want to fight. Drows are treacherous opponents, but I had one with me and she seemed quite confident. I soon discovered why. She was staring at her Shadow, as it could talk to her. In fact, its left hand was lifted and indicated the number four. Four of them? Then it closed its flaming right eye and it passed its left hand on its right arm. I didn't understand those gestures at that moment, it was part of drows silent language.

"Four drow warriors" she said quietly, while she gave some silent order to her Shadow, that immediately melted, disappearing inside the shadow of a tree "there are no clerics or wizards. They underestimate us."

I nodded, probably they didn't even know I was with her. I put my hand on Karnwyr head, he knew what to do. Then I grabbed my bow and drew an arrow from my quiver. I was a red-feathered arrow, an explosive one. I bought them right before leaving, and I was eager to try them. I bent the bow, ready to shoot as soon as I saw one of them coming towards us and waited. She was standing still, in front of me, I could only see her back but I realized that she was casting some divine magic by her gestures and the soft murmuring I heard. A gentle flash of light caressed me, blinding me just for a moment. Then I felt strange. My senses were even sharper than usual, if possible, and I felt somehow stronger._ Damn her!_ She casted a blessing upon us.

I didn't have the time to tell her what I thought about her magic, because I saw him. He was heading towards us, not distant from the border of the glade where we were, totally unaware of what was going to catch him, right on his forehead. I shot the arrow, aiming at the space between his eyes. It wasn't an easy shot, but if I didn't fail they would have been outnumbered, if I failed... I didn't even want to think about it. Luckily I _never_ fail. As the arrow got him his head literally exploded, leaving him dead before his body touched the soil. Karnwyr howled, running fast to take one of the remaining men. With a sadistic smile I grabbed another arrow from the quiver, ready to shoot one of the other two that were following him, he was running towards Nawen, who waited him, her hands raised. But something was wrong.

"Two? Shouldn't they be th...?" I couldn't end the sentence, because of the sudden pain that caught me when I felt the blade piercing my shoulder through the leather armor. That jerk hid and back-stabbed me. Maybe _we_ were underestimating them. The wound was superficial, nothing deathly, but I pretended to fall yelling on my knees, just to throw away my bow and grasp the skinning knife I was keeping hidden next to my chest.

I saw with a quick glance Nawen hurting one of them with her magic, just by touching his skin, then finishing him while he fell, with a strong dry stroke of her staff, right at the base of his neck. Clean, fast and elegant she looked like a black panther. In the meantime Karnwyr and the Shadow were dealing with another one. Karnwyr knocked him down, and the Shadow was strangling him.

Now it was this bastard's turn. I drew the knife from its sheath and turned quickly towards him, aiming with a smooth blow at his chest, right below his ribs, hoping that the knife was long enough to reach his heart. It wasn't, but I had the chance to extract it from his body and stand up, cutting his throat. I watched as he fell, panting, heard his last breath. Then I raised my hand to put the knife back in its case. My hands were bloodstained, I definitely needed to wash them at least, but we didn't have the time for a bath. Maybe in the morning, when we were supposed to reach the river Dessarin.

"They knew where we were. A warrior is not clever enough to track me down. And I don't see any capable ranger here among the corpses" I said, examining one of the bodies and searching for valuable items or gold.

"So, seems like our prey knows that we're hunting it..." she cruelly kicked one of the men to check if he was truly dead. He was not. Karnwyr and the Shadow didn't finish him. As I watched the scene, I was sure that this was made on purpose, so that we could "interrogate" him later. The wolf came next to me, waiting for a sign of approval or affection. I patted his head, sitting down and waiting for Nawen to take care of the prisoner. The girl seemed quite at her ease in torturing and causing pain.

She put her foot on his chest and pointed her staff to his cheek. The Shadow was blocking his hands and if he dared move, I was sure that the priestess would have kicked him so hard between his legs that the poor guy would have ended up castrated.

They spoke excitedly in their language, I didn't understand quite anything. Their dialogue lasted for a minute or two. I don't know why, but I realized that at some point the man was so scared that I was sure he said everything he knew to her. But I was too angry to care about them. I wasn't _supposed_ to get hurt. How did that happen? She bent down and snapped his neck, then she came and sat next to me, her body softly warming mine. In any other occasion I would have taken her and violated her, but at that moment that didn't cross my mind at all.

"You're hurt, let me heal you..." she said in that amused, arrogant voice. Anger and frustration were eating me so much that all I could do was chasing the hand she was trying to put on my shoulder with a firm, rude slap. I couldn't allow her to cast on me something that I didn't understand just when she wanted. She could do anything to me and I wouldn't even be able to react.

"No! I won't. And don't try to use your damn magic tricks on me again, priestess, or I'll kill you too, next time!" She sighed, staring at me with some strange feeling crossing her face. Was she worried about me? No, of course not. That bitch was just worried about herself, about her trip to Neverwinter, her precious secret mission. After a few seconds of silence she disclosed her beautiful lips and hissed:

"You're right, Bishop, I won't waste my magic on _you_, since you manage to get hurt anyway" then she turned her back to me and sit by the fire, totally ignoring me and the corpses of the drow warriors. I hated to admit it but_ hells_, she had a point. They hit me in spite of my keen senses and my experience. They hit me but didn't even _touch_ her. And that hurt me more than the wound on my shoulder, but what hurt me even more than that was the fact that she knew it.

A new stitch reminded me of the wound. I took some rags from my rucksack and a leather with some water, then walked away from that cleric wench and her sharp tongue.


	3. Chapter 3: The open eye

**Poison Tears**

**by Linu**

_**Disclaimer:** All the characters from Neverwinter Nights are owned by Obsidian. Nawen of Tears is mine as well as every other character that I didn't take from the game._

_**Author's Note:** I am not English mother tongue and I'm sure there will be mistakes. Feel free to let me know so that I can correct them, I am writing to improve my English so it will help me, really. Also, I don't know much about Faerun and drow language, just what I learned from NWN and the net, so I'll look for some documentation about it, but I'm not sure that everything is correct. Let me know and I'll adapt the text if it's possible._

---

**Drow Vocabulary used in this chapter:**

_Ssinssrigg: love_

_Aluvè: Goodbye_

---

Chapter Three: The open eye

Bishop had been silent all night, during our trip. If he had to say something he barely grunted some disconnected words. I was really starting to worry about him. He didn't even seem a wolf, instead, I was afraid somehow he was turning into a dwarf. Well, traveling with a dwarf would have been shiftless. He would have only slowed me down. I would have had to kill him in that case. Then, eventually he spoke, right when we roach the proximity of the River Dessarin.

"I need to have a bath or this wound is going to get worse. I guess you don't want me to die without taking you to Neverwinter first, right?" I mumbled something but he didn't even listen to me, when I turned to face him he was already near the river, getting undressed. I sighed. Stubborn man. I stood up and walked away from the camp, looking for some interesting herbs of the coast. I read something about some plants that had regenerative powers before leaving home and I needed them to replace mine.

Damon was totally different, but every time I observed Bishop I had the feeling that they had something in common. Damon was sweet, submissive, caring. I used to torture him, but he smiled anyway. Having a man as a pet was a great honor, because men aren't usually enslaved. We prefer gnomes or halflings, they are physically inferior, so they can be trained properly. Men are appreciated for their versatility, but they are much bigger than short people. He never looked directly into my eyes. He was a slave after all, and slaves are not allowed to do so. They are just meat, even less worthy of attention than commoners or animals. He never looked directly at me except for the day he died. Just before exhaling his last breath he stared into my eyes. And those eyes never left me from that day on. I saw him every time I rested, every time I closed my eyes.

He used to sing for me. His voice was so beautiful, so sweet and comforting. I grew up thinking that every day could be the last of my life. Drows don't plan, they just survive, but Damon's soothing voice used to wash fears and doubts away. I didn't love him. How could I? Love is a word that doesn't even actually exist in my language. SSinssrigg, that's how we call it. But that word means lust, not love. But somehow I cared for him. He was my favourite. I used to hurt him, physically and psycologically but he was mine and no one else could do such things to him. I would have killed anyone that dared hurt him.

Now it didn't matter anymore. He was dead, his body consumed, his blue eyes empty. I shook my head to chase away those thoughts. As I sat down on a chopped tree I noticed that I caught a flower among the other plants. It was a mysote, a forget-me-not. I smiled weakly, throwing it in the river. "Aluvè, Damon" I whispered while I watched the flower flowing in the water. I never saw his eyes in my dreams again.

My eyes then were attracted by the naked figure that was fighting against the stream, clumsily trying to wash his wound. Maybe it would have been better to take care of the living than the one that were already dead.

---

The dark hall was slightly enlightened by some trembling purple magic braziers. His red eyes totally focused on an ancient book. An unknown apparatus lay on a desk, filled with a blue glowing liquid. Some shelters behind him were filled with tomes, papers, alchemical tools. Suddenly, the door of the dungeon opened, slamming roughly against the wall. The drow wizard raised his head, obviously irritated. He sighed resigned, noticing the way his servant stared at him, frightened.

"M-master, a-am I d-disturbing your r-research?" he babbled, remaining near the doorway. That gnome was really a nuisance, and he wasn't even a useful tool. Insignificant fool! How could he let this retarded little rat stay with him?

"Alfan, you always disturb me. What happened now, you lost the explosive frog specimen again?" he asked, frowning annoyed by the gnome's attitude.

"M-master, the group we s-send f-failed"

"What?" The wizard screamed, visibly angry, throwing the book towards Alfan. The apprentice dodged it gracelessly, almost falling on his knees. Definitely the gnome deserved to die, just for the fact of bringing bad news "Bring here the eye, you'll be punished later..."

Alfan disappeared abruptly out of the door. The old drow could hear his steps while he went upstairs, a door opened, a moment or two of silence, then again the steps downstairs. The mage stood up from the chair, then walked to the door. The gnome was walking too slow to his tastes. Alfan tried to run to his master, noticing his severe glance "I-I'm coming m-mas..." He didn't end the phrase, because he fell, stumbling on his robe, to long for his short little body.

He let a round object fall, wrapped in a red velvet cloth. It bounced, then rolled on the stone floor, ending his journey at the mage's feet. The dark elf bowed down and picked it up, staring at the gnome with a furious expression on his face.

"M-master..." He tried to start some kind of apology, but the drow interrupted him. "Enough!" he yelled, with a short gesture of his hands. The last thing the gnome saw was a blinding flash of light, burning his skin and shaking his soul.

The wizard returned to his desk, unwrapping what seemed an ocular bulb, with a sadistic grin on his face.

---

As the fresh water touched the agonizing skin of my shoulder I couldn't hold a shiver. It felt like someone just set fire to it. Damn to those dark elves! The wound looked worse than I thought. I didn't know why, but it wasn't recovering at all and hurt a lot when I tried to move my arm. I couldn't shoot with my bow this way. Luckily I sent Karnwyr out, hunting at my place, but if I couldn't hold my bow we were defenceless, _I_ was defenceless. I sighed, trying to calm down so that maybe I could think clearly, I raised my hand and put it on my forehead. Suddenly I heard some steps behind me, and turned back. It was her._ What did she wanted from me?_

"That wound won't recover if you let it alone" Her tone was almost tolerable, I couldn't feel any trace of arrogance or amusement. She seemed just... worried. Actually, she had a beautiful voice.

"Well now, you're smarter than I thought, _dark elf. _What do you suggest then?" She smiled, making a few steps. Her feet were bare, and she lifted her dress enough to wash them in an inch or two of water. Watching her like that, I noticed that she wore a silver anklet, that shone brightly on her dark skin.

"Drow blades are always poisoned. This poison in particular is quite treacherous. It's sacred spider poison. Even if they weren't Lolth followers they could have stolen it from the temple where it was kept. Well, they had been punished for such a sacrilege, at least." Now she was starting to annoy me again. Was she playing with me? My damned shoulder hurt!

"So I guess I should just wait here and die right?" She went back to the riverside, sitting on a rock.

"You won't die. If there was so much poison on that blade you'd be already dead. You'll just bleed for a week and have your arm paralyzed. Then you'll recover. If you survive of course." That wasn't funny. She shrugged, staring at me with a grin. "Unless of course you let me heal you..." So, that was the point.

"I won't let you cast any drow magic on me" I answered, turned back and started to wash my shoulder with a grimace on my face.

"That won't be necessary." I stopped. Turned back again, then stared at her. She was really beautiful. I realized suddenly that the light was hurting her. She had her eyes narrowed, and a hand on her forehead, protecting them. She came out of the soothing shadows of the woods just to take care of me. That meant that she found me at least useful.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't need divine magic to heal you. It would be quicker for sure, but it's not the only way. But Bishop, we have to travel together for a month, you should trust me, just a little. It would make things a lot easier you know?" Was that sarcasm? By the way she was right. But I just couldn't let her. I was not ready.

I walked silently towards the bank, regardless of her glance staring at my naked body. She was a drow, I wouldn't traumatize her for sure. As I came out of the water she was still staring. It was beginning to be embarrassing.

"Has it been so long since you've seen a real man?" She arched her brow, inclining her head.

"As a matter of fact yes. And the last one I've seen is currently dead" I frowned. Was that a menace?

"Well then, I won't make the mistake of coming too close to you if I'm not properly dressed. But believe me, you wouldn't regret it"

"I'm sure of it, but can you please put your pants on and stop wasting my time?"

I didn't understand why, but snorting I did as she asked and sat on the grass near to her. She slipped down from the rock, sitting on the grass with me. I didn't notice it before, maybe because her elegance made her look taller, but she was so small and fragile. She stared right into my eyes for a moment, then started examining the wound.

"I'll have to wash it, put some medicament and change the bandages every day for a week, but you should at least avoid the pain and manage to move it. If you feel any pain stop whatever you're doing and come to tell me, is that clear?" I nodded reluctantly, offering the shoulder to her. She grabbed a little jar from her purse and started spreading its content on the wound. I felt immediately relieved from the pain. I don't know if it was the touch of her fingetips on my bare skin or the action of the medicament that caused me to sigh for relief. I knew Karnwyr had returned and was watching my back somewhere behind us, so I felt oddly at ease in the hands of that blood-thirsty drow.

"You know, I had a human pet that was just like you" her voice was soft, almost a whisper. I realized that my eyes were closed, even if I didn't remember when I did it. I felt her silver hair softly tickling my back.

"Like me?" Now I was curious. What would have been like being owned by a woman like her? Somehow I thought that maybe her bonds could have been more tolerable than any other obligation. Living a whole life with a cruel, lustful, lecherous drow female. Maybe I could have even found that enjoyable. Maybe.

"Yes, except for the fact that he had blue eyes. And blond hair. And he was a bard." I opened one eye, watching her closely, without saying a word._ Just like me eh?_

"Why I fail to see the resemblance?" I closed my eyes again, relishing the touch of her warm body on my side. She was so close... Hells... I bended my head near her neck, to smell her scent. She smelled of the aromatic herbs she carried in her purse. Her perfume was already filling my mind when I found the strength to whisper another question to her ear, just to divert her attention from my hand that was slipping on her leg, searching for the hem of her dress. Our lips were so close... I would have deflowered her right there, without all this faltering, but I don't know why I just couldn't. That witch mesmerized me. Or it was because of the poison. "What happened to him then?"

"Oh well, I killed him." I suddenly opened my eyes, withdrawing from her touch. She smiled, naively as she spoke that sentence. _She killed him. _That was enough, I grunted something, anything, threatening her to finish the bondage. She smiled again. That was an advice. Then why, while my mind accepted this, my body still refused to walk away from her? Stupid girl, did she really think I was going to let her pervade my mind? What the hell was happening to me?


	4. Chapter 4: Prey and Predator

**Poison Tears**

**by Linu**

_**Disclaimer:** All the characters from Neverwinter Nights are owned by Obsidian. Nawen of Tears is mine as well as every other character that I didn't take from the game._

_**Author's Note:** I am not English mother tongue and I'm sure there will be mistakes. Feel free to let me know so that I can correct them, I am writing to improve my English so it will help me, really. Also, I don't know much about Faerun and drow language, just what I learned from NWN and the net, so I'll look for some documentation about it, but I'm not sure that everything is correct. Let me know and I'll adapt the text if it's possible._

_**WARNING: **THE CONTENT OF THIS CHAPTER IS RATED MATURE._

---

**Drow Vocabulary used in this chapter:**

_Har'oloth: Underdark_

_Che'el: city_

_Jaluken: males_

_Yathrinen: priestesses of Lolth_

_Streea: death at Lolth's service_

_Thalak: war_

_Og'elend: traitor_

---

Chapter Four: Prey and predator

The soft light of the moon touched my skin, relieving me from my weariness. Luckily I managed to convince Bishop to camp by the river for another day, so that I could collect some more herbs for my medicines. Obviously it wasn't easy to convince him, but in the end he accepted. More drow assassins were on their way, of course, but delaying our jurney maybe would have mislead them. They would expect us to speed up our pace, not to slow down. At least that was what I hoped and the ranger had to agree with me, it was wise.

The reflections of sunlight on the water were too shimmering for my drow eyes, so I had to wait until night to have a bath. I didn't notice that before, but the surface was rather noisy, compared to the Har'oloth. There were frogs croaking, balm crickets and predators on hunt; it was so different from the dark silence of the halls of the temple of Lolth or the low chatter in in the corridors of the subterranean che'el. I breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of the woods. That was different too from the familiar smell of mildews, mushrooms, humidity and musty plants that I used to collect. Somehow, I felt a bit less drow on the surface and that scared me. I felt weak for the first time in my life. I was so little compared to vastness of the sky and its stars and my flesh was so tender, compared to the bark of a tree, but most of all I wasn't alone. There were billions of creatures, weak like me, little as I was. I didn't consider that before, I was too focused on my own survival and I couldn't allow my mind to cross some idle thoughts.

The cold shiver that run through my spine when my feet touched the water parted me from my thoughts. I still had to focus on my own survival, I was still in danger. I took off my tunic and remembered what our prisoner said to me while I was interrogating him. Those jaluken were trying to set off a riot against the Yathrinen. They were already dead the moment they planned it. Lolth would have never allowed them to take control of the city. Instead, She would have enjoyed this thalak, tasting every streea. I was her pawn and it was my duty and my honor to kill this og'elend. I sighed as the water touched my knees. It was cold but I didn't mind that. I got undressed slowly, relishing the soft breeze touching my skin and threw the white loose fitting dress on the grass. Now the only thing I was wearing was the ritual knife that the high priestess gave me before I left. Why couldn't I call her mother? I just couldn't, without knowing why. We were too distant. I remembered the strange smile she had the day I left home.

A rustle suddenly distracted me from the memory of my last day at home. Was someone there? Luckily I didn't leave all my weapons at the camp. I grabbed the knife with my hand, without drawing it out, slowly swinging to see who was there. Too easy for me, it was night and my eyes saw better in darkness than in light. The first things I noticed were those amber wolf eyes, hidden in the tall grass near the woods. Then, not far from the wolf was his master, staring at me. My hand left the knife, as I plunged in the dark water of the stream, pretending I didn't see him. I grinned, men were all so predictable.

---

I was really, really bored. A week passed since we left the Roostin' Griffin and, except for the first day failed ambush, nothing happened. At least we were supposed to reach Amphail the day after to "buy provisions". Obviously I was planning to rush into the first inn we found and have fun with the first acceptable wench I could grab. It was all because of that drow bitch, she was so sensual and soft, making me almost believe that I could have her, with her spicy, flowery scent. Almost. Because she always walked away, leaving me to deal with my left hand. Now I really needed a true woman, not a frigid cow like her. Not that she didn't have potential, though. I watched her swimming naked in the river a couple of days before. She was damn beautiful.

Even now, sleeping with her back reclined on that tree roots she was beautiful. Her long silver hair caressed her breast, slowly waving at the pace of her breath. I caught myself desiring her, wanting to melt in her curves, feeling her breath on my skin, teach her not to tease me again, hells... but her _damn_ shadow was there, staring at me, always guarding her, with that fiery eyes!

When was the last time I felt like this? I remembered it perfectly. I don't know if Cleric women have something in them that make them more sensual than other women, maybe it's about their Divine Aura, even if the _paladin_ didn't make me feel like that at all, but I desired her from the first moment, when she arrived at Duncan's Flagon. Such a pity that the fact she was his kin and I was blackmailed into her ruined it all. Maybe with the right incentive I would have followed her anyway. Maybe things would have ended up much different. Maybe not. But she was always trying to redeem me, to convert me. As if I could care less about Lathander or Tyr! Her name was Violet. Probably they called her that way because of her amethyst Asimar eyes.

I remember perfectly the sting of pain I felt everytime she talked with that _Casavir,_ I feltas my heart was hit a thousand times with a needle. I couldn't allow myself to feel like that. I didn't want to be weak. Because I _was_ weak everytime she came to me, stumbling in the woods, to tell me I should have been nicer, I should have forgotten my anger, get past through it so that I could be happier. But what did she know about my anger? She didn't even noticed that it wasn't anger, but _pain_. And it was all because of her, was it?

I betrayed her, insulted her and her _lover _in every possible way, I would have killed them both if I had the occasion, yet her amethyst eyes had nothing but pity in them, while she let me walk away in the end. I didn't need _her_ pity!

I sniffed searching for any unusual scent, leaning on the trunk of a tree, watching Nawen and her shadow. My fist was closed in anger. After so long that memories still hurt me. The drow wench was different at least. She never tried to redeem me, in fact, probably she enjoyed my attitude. I sniffed again. There was something weird that I couldn't detect, because it was too distant. The little drow had only one problem, but I was sure she would learn well not to tease me too much, at the first chance I had to put my hands on her. I stood up, looking at Karnwyr who was running silently towards me. Or maybe she would like it and ask me for more. I found myself smiling at the idea of the drow wench begging me to take her again, and again, and again. He seemed rather worried, another ambush? I gave her a quick glance. She was still sleeping and I didn't have the time to wake her up and explain, so I took my bow and hid behind some shrubs with Karnwyr, noticing how her shadow's red eyes melted in another shadow nearby. Maybe I could use her as a bait and catch the drow assassins that were about to come.

I waited so long that I was about to get out of the bush and scream, when my victim came out of the woods, approaching Nawen who was still sleeping in the clearing. How could she sleep in a moment like this? That was really non-drowish of her, foolish girl. He wasn't a drow. He was human. Luskan, precisely. You could tell it by the smell. Well, his clothes helped a lot too in identifying him. He wore some sort of ragged uniform I recognized immediately. Only the recruits of Luskan army wore it. I wore it myself when I was younger. What would a Luskan do this south? Maybe he was a deserter, running away from a certain death in Luskan's army. I decided to watch him for a while before capturing him. He was wandering in the glade, appraising our equipment, obviously pleased with the thought of the money he would have made with Nawen's drow whip and her staff. probably he thought her companion was out hunting, so far that he couldn't do anything to _protect_ her. In fact her companion was hunting, but rather nearer than he could suspect. My breath was slow, silent, as a predator waiting for a prey to make a mistake and then catch it, kill it. He got closer to her, and kneeled stretching a hand to touch her leg softly. She was still sleeping, apparently. Maybe I could let him rape her before catching him, just to teach her to be vigilant next time. I recognized his lustful glance as he caressed her and moved aside the dress to divest her legs, to taste her obsidian skin with his fingers. Even _I_ couldn't dare touch her like that. How could she still be sleeping? Suddenly the thought that she wasn't asleep crossed my mind. Maybe she _wanted_ that stranger to take her. Why him and not me? I snarled angry, ordering silently to Karnwyr to attack him, following him out of the bush, something inside me clicked, something that I couldn't understand or stop. The Shadow moved too, sliding behind that Luskan dog and grabbing his neck with its slimy arms. He was too surprised to do anything, a usless, incompetent recruit could not have what was already mine. She was _my_ prey. A moment after, Karnwyr's fang was at his neck. He was trapped.

I grinned, satisfied. I didn't even need to do anything to capture him. I was so angry that I barely noticed Nawen get up behind me, as I slowly walked towards him. She _was_ awake. She _knew_. I threw away my bow, grasping the skinning knife tied at my chest. Karnwyr moved along, while the Shadow kept detaining him by his hands. It was a useful and smart servant after all.

"Now, now, what have we got here, a Luskan recruit lost in the woods." My voice sounded unnatural, as if it wasn't my voice at all. Here I was again, torturing Luskans. Violet wouldn't be pleased if she were here. I she were alive. And Malin too, that useless scout would have had something to say if she was here. But I took care of her right after the war with the King of Shadows. I placed the blade on his throat, sneering. He was shivering.

"Please, let me go. I-I didn't want to do anything bad I..." the coward was really frightened. I would have enjoyed killing him.

"You just wanted her, right?" I whispered, piercing his skin with the edge of the blade, watching some drops of blood running along his neck. He babbled some piteous words, but I wasn't listening him. I felt something grabbing my arm from behind. It was the drow. I almost forgot about her. I turned, staring at her ruby eyes, parted between the sudden urge to kiss her and the wish to kill her for what she just did.

"What do you want now?" I growled furiously. She just handed me a rope with a sneer.

"I'm a bit disappointed" she said mockingly, touching lightly my cheek with her fingertips. I could feel her body softly pressing mine, teasing me again "If you are so experienced as you claim, why don't you show this recruit how to use a _skinning _knife properly?" I understood what she meant from the way she caressed the word _skinning_ with her tongue.

I smiled cruelly, swinging to the prisoner again, ignoring his terrified scream. Maybe I could take care of the girl later.

---

When he returned to the clearing there was no sign of blood on his hands and the prisoner was vanished. He sat an the grass, staring at the Yathrin while she stared back at him. They didn't need any word. She smiled temptingly, approaching him and sitting next to him.

"You handled it pretty well, almost as a drow..." She murmured in his ear, tickling it with her breath.

"Was that a compliment?" He commented, raising an eyebrow. His voice sounded quite disturbed, as something unclear was on his mind.

"Yes, I like you somehow, even if you are a men. You could have been a wonderful slave for me..." She whispered, sliding her hand on his forearm, reaching his hand and playing with his fingers.

"No, thanks." He stated, moving his hand away and standing up before the fire. "I am my own man, I don't need someone like you bossing me around and using me as a lapdog" He was visibly angry with the woman for some reason, but she didn't seem worried. She was amused by him.

"So, you killed him because you were jealous" She said quietly. She wasn't asking it, she was sure about it. "_I_ should be upset with you, not the contrary. You spoiled it all. I could have had a lot more fun with him" she added with a childish voice, mocking him.

"I would have killed him anyway. He was a Luskan and this is what Luskans deserve." He hissed. He didn't confirm what Nawen said, but at the same time he didn't deny it.

"You're so cold, Bishop, why don't you warm up a bit? I can help you with that. Besides, if we are to spend some time together we should have some fun. You can't fool me. I know you're bored. You and I are the same. We are two animals, and you can't fool yourself either." She put her arms on his shoulder, kissing his jaw, rubbing her lips on his stubble. His eyes were closed, his fists tightened, his breath deepened. She knew he was struggling against himself to regain control, that's why she bit his neck softly, then raised her head to put her lips close to his ear again. She whispered something, than caressed his lobe with her tongue.

He growled, grasping violently her hair from her nape and pulling her face away from his neck, lingering with his mouth close to her lips, almost kissing her. "Don't tease me or you'll regret this". She grinned. "That's not my intention". Then, his mouth closed on her and his hands grabbed her waist firmly, as he dragged her down on the grass, like a predator who eventually catch his prey and finish it with a final blow.

The wizard opened his eyes and his hands, putting carefully the ocular bulb on the red velvet cloth. He was quite satisfied of what he discovered, he knew she was weak, unaware. She let her guard down enough. His laboratory now took shape in front of him, replacing the clearing he was seeing before.

"Vahnil, come here!" He shouted rudely. A few seconds later a young drow wizard entered the room, overstepping nonchalantly the gnome's corpse on the floor.

"How can I be of service, master?" The "master" handed the velvet package to the apprentice, then stood up and stared at Alfan's body for a second or two.

"Send a squad to Amphail, they have to be there tomorrow morning. And... take care of that body. Maybe he could be more useful in death than in life..."


End file.
